Question - ping vs. HTTP?

[sandgnat]

Can someone explain to a newbie the difference between pinging a server and a HTTP check? From a monitoring point of view, what's the difference between a ping check and a HTTP check?

Does the ping just check that the server is UP and the HTTP check that the server can SERVE the correct site page for the requested domain?

(From reading other posts) it appears that if you can't pull up your site, you could ping the server successfully and yet the HTTP request for your site might fail?

Thanks

[admin]

You got it 100% right here...
Does the ping just check that the server is UP and the HTTP check that the server can SERVE the correct site page for the requested domain

[sandgnat]

Thanks Brad,

That was quick!

That explains why I can still ping the server, yet sometimes, my site (or sites of my clients) won't pull up.

I'm noticing that on cpanel.nocspeed.com (which I'm on), there are times when the HTTP check is failing yet on cpanel2.nocspeed.com, the HTTP check has no downtime.

What would be the difference between the two servers that would cause one to be doing so well and the other occasionally failing?

(NOTE: I'm not complaining, just trying to understand better )